Abstract
The following dissertation researches the impact the Leadership Academy Scholar Course (LASC), an extra-curricular positive education program, has on student wellbeing and determined if the addition of a positive psychology retreat causes a significant increase in well-being compared to the program without the retreat. Well-being was measured through self-report scores on the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression Scale (CES‐ D 10). The LASC with the retreat was found to significantly improve mental well-being (as measured by the SWLS and WEMWBS) and decrease depression (as measured using the CES-D10) after participation in the program. The LASC without the retreat was found to significantly improve mental well-being but did not significantly decrease depression. Participation in the positive psychology retreat was found to have an amplifying effect on improving well-being. The inclusion of the retreat improved well-being 3.67 times more as measured by the WEMWBS, 4.63 times more as measured by the SWLS and decreased depression 5.64 times more as measured by the CES-D10. This study demonstrates that the addition of positive psychology retreats to positive education programs can be a valuable tool for educators. |Keywords: Positive Psychology Retreats, Positive Education, Positive Psychology. Secondary Education Retreats